Shade-holler



R. N. WOOD.

SHADE ROLLER.

APPLICATION FILED APR-28, I9I6.

LW3,W, Patented Aug. 1,1916.

Inventor Attorneys 11TH ens ierr nip.

ROBERT N. WQOD, OFIUKA, MISSISSIPPI.

SHADE-ROLLER.

rieaioe.

Application filed April 28,1916.

To all whom it may concern 1 Be it known that 1, ROBERT N. VVooD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Tuka,in the county of Tishomingo and State of Mississippi, have invented a new and useful Shade-Roller, of which the following is a specification.

The device forming the subject matter of this application is adapted to be employed for raising and lowering a window shade, and the invention aims to provide a novel form of pawl-carrying lever, provided with a cord-receiving eye which, cooperating with a washer at one end of a shade roller, serves as a brake, the washer coacting with the eye to prevent the eye from engaging the ratchet wheel wherewith the pawl coacts.

It is within the province of the disclosure to improve generally and to enhance the utility of devices of that type to which the present invention appertains.

VJith the above and other objects in View which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made with in the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings :-Figure' 1 shows in front elevation, a shade roller whereunto the device forming the subject matter of this application has been applied; Fig. 2 is a fragmental detail enlarged from Fig. 1 and showing one end of the roller and attendant parts; Fig. 3 is an end elevation wherein parts are broken away; Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing portions of the structure in section; Fig. 5 is a fragmental elevation showing one of the brackets; and Fig. (3 is a perspective View delineating the pawl-carrying lever.

In the accompanying drawings,the numeral 1 indicates a support whichmay be a part of a window frame. Mounted on the support 1 is a bracket 2 provided in its upper edge with a notch 8, as disclosed in Fig. 5. By means of a foot plate 4 and securing elements 5, a bracket 6 is held on the support 1 in spaced relation to the bracket 2.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 1', 1916.

Serial No. 94,169.

The bracket 6 is provided with journaling opening 7.

The numeral 8 designates a roller, about which is wound a shade 11. One end of the roller 8 is provided with a spindle 9 adapted to be seated removably in the notch 8 of the bracket 2, as shown in Fig. 5. A circular plate or washer 10 abuts against the other end of the roller 8.

The invention comprises a spindle including a stem or screw 12, a drum 14 of larger diameter thanthe screw, a ratchet wheel 15 at one end of the drum and of smaller di ameter than the washer 10, a shaft 16 pro jecting from the ratchet wheel, and a bearing 17 projecting from the end of the shaft '16 and of less diameter than the shaft 16.

The screw 12 is threaded into one end of the roller8 and the drum 14 constitutes means for binding the-washer 10 against said end of the roller, it being understood that the screw 12, the drum 14, the shaft 16 and the bearing 17 are formed in one piece. The bearing 17 is journaled in the opening 7 of the bracket 6.

The numeral 18 indicates a lever including a depending shank 19 terminating in a rectangularly disposed elongated eye 20. At the other end of the lever 18 there is formed a weight or extension 21 and projecting laterally from the upper edge of the lever 18 above the weight 21 is a pawl 22. The lever is provided intermediate its ends with an opening 25. A pivot pin 50 on the bracket 6 is received in the opening 25, and thus the lever is mounted to swing in a direction at right angles to the axis of the roller 8. The weight 21 tends to maintain the pawl 22 normally in engagement with the teeth of the ratchet wheel 15.

A cord 24 is wound around the drum 14 and is' extended downwardly through the eye 20 of the lever 18. I

The weight 21 exercises two functions. First, it serves as a counterweight, adapted to maintain the pawl 22 engaged with the ratchet wheel 15. Secondly, it serves to reinforce the lever 18, adjacent the pawl 22.

The flexible element 24 which is extended through the eye 20 of the lever 18 ordinarily hangs in a depending position as shown in dash line in Fig. 8 of the drawings. If the flexible element 24: be drawn upon, the lever 18 will be tilted on its pivot or fulcrum 50, by the tension of the flexible element, the pawl 22 thus being disengaged from the ratchet wheel 15. The roller 8 may now be rotated, when the flexible element 24 is drawn upon, and the shade 11 will be wound upon the roller. By moving or swinging the flexible element 2% from the dash line of Fig. 3 to the solid line of said figure, the pawl 22 may be eased down into the ratchet wheel 15, a proper tension being maintained in the flexible element. It is to be observed that while the pawl 22 is being lowered into engagement with the ratchet wheel 15, the tension on the flexible element 24 is maintained and the roller 8, therefore, does not rotate under the weight of the curtain 11. Consequently, the pawl 22 is brought into contact with the teeth of the ratchet wheel 15 while the ratchet wheel is at rest, and there is no chance that either the pawl 22 or the ratchet wheel 15 will be broken during the engagement of the pawl with the ratchet wheel.

Notingparticularly Fig. 3, it will be observed that the eye 20 of the lever 18 is adapted to engage the periphery of the washer 10 when the cord 24 is drawn upon.

Because the washer 10 is of greater diame-' ter than the ratchet wheel 15, the eye 20 c0- operates with the washer 10 to act as a brake, and the eye 20 is prevented from engaging the ratchet wheel.

Owing to the fact that the eye 20 of the lever 18 is elongated, the cord 24; may wind properly on the drum 14.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is In a device of the class described, a roller; a shade wound on the roller; a washer abutting against one end of the roller; a drum coacting with the washer and including an extension provided with a ratchet wheel of less diameter than the washer; a bracket in which the extension is journaled; a lever fulcrumed intermediate its ends on the bracket and'provided at one end with a lateral eye extended across the edge 01 the washer, the lever being equipped at its other end with a weight, and being supplied intermediate its ends with a pawl adapted to coact with the ratchet wheel; and a flexible element wound around the drum and extended through the eye; the eye being adapted to engage the periphery of the washer, under the tension of the flexible element, to act as a brake for the roller and to prevent the eye from engaging the ratchet wheel, the weight constituting a means for swinging the pawl 1 into engagement with the ratchet wheel and constituting a means for swinging the eye away from the periphery of the washer.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT N. \VOOD.

WVitnesses F. T. GARMACK, J. W. COMAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

